Vehicle lighting system with improved substrate

• US 9,682,651 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dassanayake, Mahendra Somasara, Salter, Stuart C., Surman, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US14/595,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20150138815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 362487, 362509-510, 362540, 362543
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/00 Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/68 using ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/745 using lighting panels or mats, e.g. electro-luminescent panels, LED mats
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/176 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/16 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element

Abstract

A vehicle lighting system is provided herein. The system includes a substrate having alternating first and second portions. A first and second light source are each operable to emit light toward the substrate, wherein each of the first and second portions are configured to luminesce in response to excitation by light emitted from one of the first and second light sources.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting system, comprising:

a substrate of the vehicle lighting system, the substrate arranged in a stepped configuration and having alternating first and second portions; and

a first and second light source, each operable to emit light toward the substrate, wherein each of the first and second portions are configured to photoluminescence in response to excitation by light emitted from one of the first and second light sources.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portions are disposed in non-parallel to the second portions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second light sources are each configured to emit one of an ultraviolet, a violet, and a blue light.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate is arranged in a planar configuration.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first and second light sources each comprise light emitting diodes, each of which emits light toward a corresponding portion of the substrate.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising at least one filtering element configured to modify the light output of each light emitting diode such that light emitted from the light emitting diodes of the first light source excites only the first portions and light emitted from the light emitting diodes of the second light excites only the second portions.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second light sources are each disposed on a printed circuit board that is non-parallel to the substrate.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portions are configured to luminesce in a first color and the second portions are configured to luminesce in a second color that is visually distinct from the first color.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein when the first and second light sources are simultaneously activated, the first and second portions luminesce together to produce a light mixture that is visible in a third color.

10. A vehicle lighting system, comprising:

a substrate of the vehicle lighting system, the substrate arranged in a stepped configuration and having alternating first and second portions, the first portions disposed in non-parallel to the second portions; and

a first and second light source, each operable to emit light toward the substrate, wherein each of the first and second portions are configured to photoluminescence in response to excitation by light emitted from one of the first and second light sources.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second light sources are each configured to emit one of an ultraviolet, a violet, and a blue light.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first portions are configured to luminesce in a first color and the second portions are configured to luminesce in a second color that is visually distinct from the first color.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein when the first and second light sources are simultaneously activated, the first and second portions luminesce together to produce a light mixture that is visible in a third color.

14. A vehicle lighting system, comprising:

a substrate of the vehicle lighting system, the substrate having a first portion and a second portion arranged in a non-parallel configuration; and

a first and second light source, each operable to emit light toward the substrate, wherein the first and second portions are configured to photoluminescence in response to excitation by light emitted from one of the first and second light sources, wherein the first light source is disposed behind the first portion and is oriented to emit light through an aperture in the first portion and toward the second portion to cause the second portion to photoluminesce, and wherein the second light source is disposed behind the second portion and is oriented to emit light through an aperture in the second portion and toward the first portion to cause the first portion to photoluminesce.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second light sources are each configured to emit one of an ultraviolet, a violet, and a blue light.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first portion is configured to luminesce in a first color and the second portion is configured to luminesce in a second color that is visually distinct from the first color.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein when the first and second light sources are simultaneously activated, the first and second portions luminesce together to produce a light mixture that is visible in a third color.